Phenolates

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Structural formula of the phenolate ion Phenolate.svg
Structural formula of the phenolate ion

Phenolates (also called phenoxides) are anions, salts, and esters of phenols, containing the phenolate ion. They may be formed by reaction of phenols with strong base. [1]

Contents

Properties

Alkali metal phenolates, such as sodium phenolate hydrolyze in aqueous solution to form basic solutions. [2] At pH = 10, phenol and phenolate are in approximately 1:1 proportions.

The phenoxide anion (aka phenolate) is a strong nucleophile with a comparable to the one of carbanions or tertiary amines. [3] Generally, oxygen attack of phenoxide anions is kinetically favored, while carbon-attack is thermodynamically preferred (see Thermodynamic versus kinetic reaction control). Mixed oxygen/carbon attack and by this a loss of selectivity is usually observed if the reaction rate reaches diffusion control. [4]

Uses

Alkyl aryl ethers can be synthesized through the Williamson ether synthesis by treating sodium phenolate with an alkyl halide: [5]

C6H5ONa + CH3I → C6H5OCH3 + NaI
C6H5ONa + (CH3O)2SO2 → C6H5OCH3 + (CH3O)SO3Na

Production of salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is produced in the Kolbe–Schmitt reaction between carbon dioxide and sodium phenolate.

Salicylic-Acid General Synthesis V.2.svg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carboxylic acid</span> Organic compound containing a –C(=O)OH group

In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group attached to an R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R−COOH or R−CO2H, with R referring to the alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or other group. Carboxylic acids occur widely. Important examples include the amino acids and fatty acids. Deprotonation of a carboxylic acid gives a carboxylate anion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ether</span> Organic compounds made of alkyl/aryl groups bound to oxygen (R–O–R)

In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula R−O−R′, where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be classified into two varieties: if the alkyl or aryl groups are the same on both sides of the oxygen atom, then it is a simple or symmetrical ether, whereas if they are different, the ethers are called mixed or unsymmetrical ethers. A typical example of the first group is the solvent and anaesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether". Ethers are common in organic chemistry and even more prevalent in biochemistry, as they are common linkages in carbohydrates and lignin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phenols</span> Chemical compounds in which hydroxyl group is attached directly to an aromatic ring

In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of one or more hydroxyl groups (−OH) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest is phenol, C
6
H
5
OH
. Phenolic compounds are classified as simple phenols or polyphenols based on the number of phenol units in the molecule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phenol</span> Organic compound (C6H5OH)

Phenol, or Benzenol, is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group bonded to a hydroxy group. Mildly acidic, it requires careful handling because it can cause chemical burns.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organolithium reagent</span> Chemical compounds containing C–Li bonds

In organometallic chemistry, organolithium reagents are chemical compounds that contain carbon–lithium (C–Li) bonds. These reagents are important in organic synthesis, and are frequently used to transfer the organic group or the lithium atom to the substrates in synthetic steps, through nucleophilic addition or simple deprotonation. Organolithium reagents are used in industry as an initiator for anionic polymerization, which leads to the production of various elastomers. They have also been applied in asymmetric synthesis in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the large difference in electronegativity between the carbon atom and the lithium atom, the C−Li bond is highly ionic. Owing to the polar nature of the C−Li bond, organolithium reagents are good nucleophiles and strong bases. For laboratory organic synthesis, many organolithium reagents are commercially available in solution form. These reagents are highly reactive, and are sometimes pyrophoric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fischer–Speier esterification</span>

Fischer esterification or Fischer–Speier esterification is a special type of esterification by refluxing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst. The reaction was first described by Emil Fischer and Arthur Speier in 1895. Most carboxylic acids are suitable for the reaction, but the alcohol should generally be primary or secondary. Tertiary alcohols are prone to elimination. Contrary to common misconception found in organic chemistry textbooks, phenols can also be esterified to give good to near quantitative yield of products. Commonly used catalysts for a Fischer esterification include sulfuric acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, and Lewis acids such as scandium(III) triflate. For more valuable or sensitive substrates other, milder procedures such as Steglich esterification are used. The reaction is often carried out without a solvent or in a non-polar solvent to facilitate the Dean-Stark method. Typical reaction times vary from 1–10 hours at temperatures of 60-110 °C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enol</span> Organic compound with a C=C–OH group

In organic chemistry, alkenols are a type of reactive structure or intermediate in organic chemistry that is represented as an alkene (olefin) with a hydroxyl group attached to one end of the alkene double bond. The terms enol and alkenol are portmanteaus deriving from "-ene"/"alkene" and the "-ol" suffix indicating the hydroxyl group of alcohols, dropping the terminal "-e" of the first term. Generation of enols often involves deprotonation at the α position to the carbonyl group—i.e., removal of the hydrogen atom there as a proton H+. When this proton is not returned at the end of the stepwise process, the result is an anion termed an enolate. The enolate structures shown are schematic; a more modern representation considers the molecular orbitals that are formed and occupied by electrons in the enolate. Similarly, generation of the enol often is accompanied by "trapping" or masking of the hydroxy group as an ether, such as a silyl enol ether.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium diisopropylamide</span> Chemical compound

Lithium diisopropylamide is a chemical compound with the molecular formula LiN(CH 2)2. It is used as a strong base and has been widely utilized due to its good solubility in non-polar organic solvents and non-nucleophilic nature. It is a colorless solid, but is usually generated and observed only in solution. It was first prepared by Hamell and Levine in 1950 along with several other hindered lithium diorganylamides to effect the deprotonation of esters at the α position without attack of the carbonyl group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anisole</span> Organic compound (CH₃OC₆H₅) also named methoxybenzene

Anisole, or methoxybenzene, is an organic compound with the formula CH3OC6H5. It is a colorless liquid with a smell reminiscent of anise seed, and in fact many of its derivatives are found in natural and artificial fragrances. The compound is mainly made synthetically and is a precursor to other synthetic compounds. Structurally, it is an ether with a methyl and phenyl group attached. Anisole is a standard reagent of both practical and pedagogical value.

The Kolbe–Schmitt reaction or Kolbe process is a carboxylation chemical reaction that proceeds by treating phenol with sodium hydroxide to form sodium phenoxide, then heating sodium phenoxide with carbon dioxide under pressure, then treating the product with sulfuric acid. The final product is an aromatic hydroxy acid which is also known as salicylic acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enolate</span> Organic anion formed by deprotonating a carbonyl (>C=O) compound

In organic chemistry, enolates are organic anions derived from the deprotonation of carbonyl compounds. Rarely isolated, they are widely used as reagents in the synthesis of organic compounds.

<i>n</i>-Butyllithium Chemical compound

n-Butyllithium C4H9Li (abbreviated n-BuLi) is an organolithium reagent. It is widely used as a polymerization initiator in the production of elastomers such as polybutadiene or styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS). Also, it is broadly employed as a strong base (superbase) in the synthesis of organic compounds as in the pharmaceutical industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakin oxidation</span> Organic redox reaction that converts hydroxyphenyl aldehydes or ketones into benzenediols

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phenol ether</span> O-alkyl derivative of phenol

In chemistry, a phenol ether (or aromatic ether) is an organic compound derived from phenol (C6H5OH), where the hydroxyl (-OH) group is substituted with an alkoxy (-OR) group. Usually phenol ethers are synthesized through the condensation of phenol and an organic alcohol; however, other known reactions regarding the synthesis of ethers can be applied to phenol ethers as well. Anisole (C6H5OCH3) is the simplest phenol ether, and is a versatile precursor for perfumes and pharmaceuticals. Vanillin and ethylvanillin are phenol ether derivatives commonly utilized in vanilla flavorings and fragrances, while diphenyl ether is commonly used as a synthetic geranium fragrance. Phenol ethers are part of the chemical structure of a variety of medications, including quinine, an antimalarial drug, and dextromethorphan, an over-the-counter cough suppressant.

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References

  1. Smith, Michael B.; March, Jerry (2007), Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structure (6th ed.), New York: Wiley-Interscience, p. 506, ISBN   978-0-471-72091-1
  2. Jakubke, Hans-Dieter; Karcher, Ruth (1999). Lexikon der Chemie in drei Bänden, Band 3. Heidelberg: Spektrum Verlag. p. 14. ISBN   3-8274-0381-2.
  3. . Mayr’s Database of Reactivity Parameters. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  4. Mayer, Robert J.; Breugst, Martin; Hampel, Nathalie; Ofial, Armin R.; Mayr, Herbert (2019-06-26). "Ambident Reactivity of Phenolate Anions Revisited: A Quantitative Approach to Phenolate Reactivities". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 84 (14): 8837–8858. doi:10.1021/acs.joc.9b01485. PMID   31241938. S2CID   195696760.
  5. Beyer, Hans; Walter, Wolfgang (1984). Organische Chemie. Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag. pp. 463–464. ISBN   3-7776-0406-2.